The Tax Collector

In stark contrast to Norn's gloomy expression, Jinn had been humming tunes and looking content ever since he heard the story of the "legendary knight."

"Jinn, you don't believe that outrageous story, do you?" If Jinn had said yes, Norn would have been tempted to knock some sense into him and see what was going on inside that head of his.

"Of course not," Jinn replied, looking at Norn curiously, puzzled by the silly question.

"With all the lightning and the Old Man of the Mountain, how could any of it be true?"

At that, Norn's face turned a little awkward, as if those parts of the story were real.

"Ahem, ahem," Norn cleared his throat, trying to sound profound. "Jinn, what if I told you that I am Norn Adler?"

"Hahahahaha!" Jinn looked Norn up and down, then doubled over, laughing so hard he had to hold his stomach. "That's the funniest joke I've heard all year!"

Seeing Norn's face darken, Jinn finally managed to stop laughing after a while. "Sorry, Enno, I didn't mean it. It's just that your joke was too good."

"Well then, tell me why I couldn't be Norn Adler," Norn demanded, hands on hips, looking quite huffy.

"Even if it weren't exactly like in the story, Sir Norn would still be a towering knight, seven feet tall, handsome, and incredibly strong. But you..."

Jinn burst into laughter again, looking at Norn, who was barely over five feet tall, not particularly muscular, and had a rather cute face.

"You should wait until you grow up before trying to impersonate him!"

Annoyed, Norn playfully chased Jinn with his tiny fists, leaving a trail of cheerful laughter along the country road. Usually meticulous about covering his tracks, Jinn had completely forgotten to do so in his merriment.

The next day, a portly tax collector rode slowly along the same road on a small donkey, followed by two guards in armor, dragging their spears wearily behind them.

The tax collector, sweating profusely, was in a bad mood. Although he had collected over a hundred silver dinars in taxes from Miramas town, plus another twenty in bribes, it still fell short of his expectations.

"Those bathhouse girls were something else," he reminisced, almost drooling at the thought. But that pleasure came at a cost, as his stash was dwindling fast.

While he was still figuring out where to squeeze some more money, his beady eyes caught sight of wheel tracks leading deep into the forest.

"Those damned poachers are hunting in Lord March's forest again!" he exclaimed, pretending to be indignant, but his mind was already calculating how much he could extort.

"Let's go! We need to make these tax evaders pay ten times the amount!" the tax collector ordered his guards, who followed him along the tracks into the depths of the forest.

In a clearing ahead, a small wooden cabin stood on a patch of open ground, with Jinn chopping wood outside.

The tax collector sized up the situation and, seeing that Jinn was alone, gave his guards a meaningful look.

The guards, who had a good working relationship with the tax collector, immediately understood and began to sneak up on Jinn. But their skills were lacking, and they accidentally stepped on a broken branch when they were still thirty meters away.

"Who's there?" Jinn, hearing the noise, immediately raised his axe in defense.

Caught red-handed, the tax collector decided to make a grand entrance with his guards, strutting up to Jinn with an air of superiority. "I am the tax collector for Lord March, the master of this forest!"

"Oh, it's the tax collector!" Jinn felt a bit guilty inside, realizing that his carelessness in covering his tracks the previous day had led to this confrontation.

"And you, young man! Have you paid any taxes for hunting in the lord's forest?" the tax collector barked, his guards closing in on Jinn, brandishing their spears and trying to intimidate him.

"Well, I wasn't aware of the tax amount," Jinn replied, his palms sweating and his voice trembling as he faced the spears.

The tax collector snorted contemptuously at Jinn.

"For a poacher like you, the fine is at least fifty gold nomis!" he declared, naming a sum that would take Jinn, a simple hunter, a lifetime to save.

"What? That can't be right!" Jinn exclaimed in disbelief.

"What's going on?" Norn, who had been resting inside the cabin, came out upon hearing the commotion.

"Ah, so there are two of you! Then the fine is at least one hundred and thirty gold nomis!" the tax collector quickly revised his demand upon seeing Norn.

"Huh?" Norn was still confused and didn't understand what was happening.

"Enno, what's wrong?" Anna, who had been resting inside, also came out and stood behind Norn, curious about the situation.

The tax collector had originally planned to play the role of a merciful official, offering the inexperienced hunters a discount and then accepting a bribe in their gratitude.

But when he saw Anna standing behind Norn, his eyes nearly popped out! Her delicate, fair skin, smooth chestnut hair, perfectly proportioned features, and an air of vulnerability made her the most attractive thing he had seen in a long time.

The tax collector now had a much better idea.

"I know you two can't afford it, so let her be the payment," the tax collector said, slapping one of his guards, who had a lecherous look in his eyes and ordered him to grab Anna.

"No, he's not from here..." Jinn started to say, but the other guard punched him in the stomach, cutting off his words.

"Enno, run!" Jinn shouted, despite the heavy boots kicking at him.

"Get inside!" Seeing the menacing guards, Norn pulled Anna into the cabin.

However, the guards, seeing that the cabin didn't even have windows, slowed their pace and cautiously entered.

In the corner, Norn and Anna hugged each other tightly, pressing themselves against the wall as if it could give them courage.

The guard, eyeing the beautiful young girl, let out a lecherous grin, recalling the many girls he and the tax collector had toyed with.

None of them compared to this girl. Before selling her to a slave trader, he might just have a chance to take advantage of her. Thinking this, his breathing grew heavier.

"Stay away from me!" Anna's panicked voice only fueled the guard's lust.

The guard, in his madness, failed to notice the cunning glint in Anna's eyes and the fleeting flash of anger in Norn's.

The guard, like a cat playing with a mouse, slowly approached the two frightened children.

The flickering fire from the hearth cast an uncertain light, throwing his dark shadow over Norn and Anna.